The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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Our 1901 Alabama Constitution has been rightfully criticized as being archaic. However, it was simply a reflection of the times. The authors and crafters of our document were well educated gentry. Therefore they appreciated and realized the importance of having a prized capstone university. The University of Alabama was founded in 1831 and had become one of the premier southern universities by the time of the Civil War. It was not by coincidence that one of the primary missions of the northern U...
Cuba has received heightened scrutiny over the last few weeks because of questionable remarks made by presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (D Vermont) endorsing some of the late Fidel Castro's people programs implemented when he overthrew the then existing government by force in 1959 and replacing it with a Communist state that still exists today. The tensions between The United States and Cuba have culminated in the current US embargo of many of our goods from ever reaching this Caribb...
The First Amendment to the Constitution is a part of those first ten amendments also referred to as the Bill of Rights. The portion of the first amendment that relates to religion reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Unfortunately there are not many writings that exist regarding the discussions on this amendment. It seems that the final language was a collection of suggested amendments. Prior to the rat...
Before I get started, I would like to express my condolences to the Ed Jones family on his passing this past week. I got to meet him when I first started writing for the Gazette and he was always kind, encouraging and respectful to me. A true gentleman and I for one will miss reading his column. Okay, for starters let me get this out in the open. I do not like the idea of Michael Bloomberg as POTUS. I know he is a billionaire and probably could not care less what I think and to be honest, I...
In 1987, I sold my portion of Giles Enterprises and did a little real estate development in 1988 and in 1989 joined the Hunt Administration as Small Business Advocate for the State of Alabama. Also in 1988, on a scratchy low powered AM radio station in Montgomery, Alabama, a strange, but different kind of radio talk show was launched, “The Rush Limbaugh Show.” I was 34 then, and now 31 years later, I am 65 and still mesmerized by the depth, insight, revelation and the almost prophetic sense Rus...
It was President Trump at his finest. Trump highlighted the booming economy, articulated his foreign policy, and tied his vision for the American future to its heroic past. He awarded a scholarship in real time, bestowed a Medal of Freedom in real time, and dramatically reunited a family with their soldier husband and father, making for the most emotional State of the Union address since President Reagan first began highlighting American heroes in the gallery during his annual address. But...
Back in the day, in the 1800’s, the Democratic Party in the United States stood solidly for our fundamental Constitutional principles—liberty, justice, and free enterprise. But as the 20th century rolled around, many of our Democrats slipped over toward statism, socialism, and even communism. During that time, the American people suffered under the administrations of three of our most terrible presidents—Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson. The only decent Democrat was John...
Hypocrisy in overdrive these past months, now less fueled by DC politburo members, is decelerating back to ‘coasting speed’ toward the usual destination of ‘Dershowitzian’ good intentions (feigned, foolish or sincere) if history is any guide. The 1990s US House turned a blind eye to “Whitewatergate” (as Ken Starr’s absurdly long investigation uncovered too much dirt on too many politburo members) and focused on a ‘seedy’ blue dress - showing how much they truly care about sexual harassment...
My Mentor, Ed Jones, was a great encourager. In the past weeks, he asked me to write a piece or two for him. What an Honor. He, in his affable manner said; "I'm a football guy, but you write whatever you want to write about." I'll sure miss him. All the football games have been settled, at least for last year. And the Daytona Five Hundred has been run, now it's time to focus on America's Favorite Past Time; Baseball. I wonder and worry about the game today. It's hard to follow until the season...
Alcatraz Island sits in the middle of San Francisco Bay, surrounded by almost two miles of turbulent and treacherous water. For nearly one hundred years, the island housed a prison, and the place earned the nickname “The Rock” because it was inescapable. Constructed as a United States Army fortress in the 1850s, the twenty-two-acre island became an Army prison during the Civil War. In 1933, Alcatraz was turned over to the Department of Justice to be used as a federal penitentiary, and dur...
Walter Mabry Whetstone Sr. Age 100 Walter Mabry Whetstone Sr. at 100 years of age is the oldest living WWII veteran in Elmore County, AL, as of February 16, 2020. He served in the Army in the liberation of Italy. Whetstone received the following medals: European African Service Medal, Easter Service Medal with Two Bronze Stars, Good Conduct Medal and WWII Victory Medal. Whetstone was born January 2, 1920, in Weoka, a rural community in Elmore County, AL, to his parents, Theophilus Walton...
Troy University has lost a legend. Dr. Johnny M. Long passed away at his home on Monday evening at age 94 after a brief illness and more than a year of declining health. "Dr. Johnny Long has been an icon of Troy University and band music throughout the world. His leadership, not only of the Sound of the South Marching Band and the University but also to generations of musicians, conductors and music educators across the globe, has made a significant impact in bringing our world and our cultures...
The only two sure things in life, according to the saying, are death and taxes. Should businesses profit when one of their employees dies? They can avoid taxes, and this reduces our prosperity. I first read about “Janitors Insurance” or “Dead Peasants Insurance” in Harvard Professor Michael Sandel’s What Money Can’t Buy. Professor Sandel used the case to criticize how this affected businesses’ view of workers: “Creating conditions where workers are worth more dead than alive objectifies the...
I attended a Beekeeping symposium last month after having mixed luck with my hives. There was an entire-day beginner’s class to review what you have been doing right with your bees and to keep from doing things wrong. I have been able to collect 3 gallons of honey from my first hive but the next two hives collapsed. Besides the classes I went around talking and asking questions to the vendors showcasing the latest technology and hardware. Learn a few things that will help me, but I only bought a...
When we have come full swing into March, I always say that spring has sprung. Time to get serious about gardening such as making a plan if you have not done so, searching for plants at the various garden centers and nurseries, and getting seed out for sowing. Now is also a great time to plant lettuce, collard, mustard and turnip greens. Herbs are also a great choice now, such as parsley, coriander, thyme, marjoram, oregano, dill and basil. If you have an area of the bed that consistently gets...
Have you ever won something? Maybe it was winning your favorite card game, being the first to cross the finish line in a marathon, or winning a door prize at an event. When you do well or win something, it is a really great feeling. "No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us." Roman 8:37 That feeling of victory is how we should be living our lives every day. God tells us that He made us more than victorious. Another translation says “we are more t...
Most people – I think – are paying attention to the 2020 election. Whether watching Trump riding on what seems to be a rising tide, or following the Democratic primaries and caucuses, everybody is watching to some extent even if only for entertainment. Democratic Socialist Bernie Sanders is doing better than expected. Even the confused and chaotic Democratic party seem shocked at how well he is doing as attempts to usher in Michael Bloomberg continue. I am not a socialist myself. I was int...
Citizens Academy We have begun our Citizens Academy for the new year! If you're not familiar with our Citizens Academy, it was established in 1997 to educate the citizens of Montgomery County on how the Sheriff's Office operates and to promote public safety among our community members. Classes are designed to be interesting as well as informative. Citizens are given an opportunity to ride with a Deputy on patrol, tour the County Jail, volunteer at events that are sponsored by the Sheriff's...